Hopps and Wilde each pulled out two chairs in the interrogation room. The suspect sat on another chair handcuffed to the table.
"So," Judy said, "the Bergen church in Tundratown burned to the ground. You are the possible suspect. You gave up quickly. Did you really do it?"
"Do whatever you want with me," said the suspect in a thick Norwegian accent, "I did burn down that church. Arrest me, throw me in prison, I seriously don't give a fuck anymore. It feels like something is over."
"Wow," Nick said in a shocked manor, "you really did just admit to this whole thing. I mean, no one ever does this."
"I did admit to it. I don't care. My life is perfectly over as I know it. I thought it would get better when I first came here. I thought I had a fresh start. But even that crumbled under my feet."
"So," Judy said, "you came here?"
"Yes I did. From Norway, Bergen to be exact."
"So," Nick said, "guess you are one of those Norwegian immigrants. Why did you burn down that church?"
"It's a very long story," said the suspect, "My name is Revi Hedensk. I was born in Bergen, Norway 21 years ago. As a young child, I was bullied throughout school. Some of it was about me being a fox, the other was about me being autistic. When I was about 13, I was introduced to the world of Black Metal and immediately got hooked. Someone felt the way I felt, just by listening to it."
Nick and Judy looked at each other as Revi gave her monologue. They were becoming quite intrigued.
"I took up drumming and dreamed of playing in a famous black metal band. I always wanted to tour the world. I though I had some hope. So, I joined some bands. Many of my friends were also in the scene. That is where my dreams started to die. I was treated horribly. Got told I couldn't play and would never make it in the world. Told to just quit my dreams and die. The idea of an autistic female black metal arctic fox was often laughed at. I was fired from many bands because I apparently was "too immature" and apparently had no knowledge about the genre. I fell into a deep depression and felt like there was no way out. I just wanted to leave Bergen."
Revi's speech was quite interesting now.
"Once I heard about the scene in Tundratown, I immediately planned a move here. I packed all my belongings and moved right into a flat here in the city. I was finally going to become a famous Black Metal drummer. I would finally tour the world. My life was finally starting before my eyes. I bought a drumkit and added so many extra parts. I was ready."
Judy and Nick became even more attentive.
"Now, however, it was even worse. I was kicked out of so many bands. All of my audition taped were turned down. I tried making my own music but was told that I would never be good. The idea of an Autistic Female Arctic Fox in Black Metal was still laughed at. I just wanted to die."
The pair listened more carefully.
"Last nights Sabaton show was a bright spot, but a familiar face had seen me afterwards and told me that I would never make it. Said I would never be more than just a nobody arctic fox that came here to follow my dreams, just to see them crumble right before me. I finally had the last straw. I had planned to do this the entire night, and I did. I burned down that church. It was a last ditch effort to make myself visible in the Tundratown scene."
Judy and Nick were silent now. They had never seen a suspect like this.
"So do whatever you want with me. Lock me up, kill me. I do not care anymore at all."
Judy was finally the first to speak, "That was a lot. We've never had a suspect like you, and I mean that in a good way. Just to ask, did you plan this?"
"Yes I planned this out," Revi said, "I knew it was the 25th anniversary of the Fantoft church burning in Bergen. I knew I would probably be arrested but hoped for good treatment. In Norway, I only had one encounter with the cops, and it wasn't so bad. I have friends who have been in the prisons. Told me that Norwegian prisons are like hotel rooms and the system helped re-habilitate them. I was also told that the prisons here were dingy and the sentences harsh. I was told that I may be killed in an encounter with the cops. Told most of them were very intolerant and did more harm than good. That is why I was so compliant; I was afraid that something would happen to me."
"Well," Nick said, "consider yourself lucky. We have been known for being nicer than the entire squad. It would be a completely different story had you been caught by someone else maybe. The two of us have been trying to make the system more just. It has worked a bit, but not as much as we hoped."
"Oh thank you so much," said Revi, "please keep trying. I never knew I would actually find myself liking the company of two officers, but I guess I do now. I'm still afraid of what will happen. I don't know how long I'll stay locked up. In Norway, the maximum sentence is only 21 years, but I will probably be here longer than that."
"Okay," Judy said, "we have both been through something similar to what you've been through. We've had our dark times. Not as dark as this though. You'll definitely get time in the prison, but because of this, we will try to help make it more of a reform than a punishment. It is already starting to happen. Hopefully, after this, it will. I mean, you're just a kid, so your sentence will be lighter than usual. You don't need a big punishment, you need help."
"You're not okay," Nick said, "but that's just okay."
A slight smile started to form on Revi's face. She had never received treatment like this. It felt like she was back in Norway as a younger child. She really hoped that she would be out of prison in two years instead of twenty, and completely changed as well.
